Season’s Greetings from Your KFA

Dear Kwantlen Faculty Association Members,

Season’s Greetings! We hope this email finds you and yours safe and well.

At the close of 2020, we would like to share an update on the work of your Union.

First, the KFA would like to thank all colleagues who volunteer on behalf of the association and our membership all year long. Thank you for your work in areas such as search advisory committees, labour councils, the Bargaining Committee, the Disability Management Rehabilitation Committee, the Labour Management Relations Committee, the Occupational Health and Safety Committee, the .6% Professional Development Committee, the Political Action Committee, the Anti-Racism Working Group, Federation of Post-Secondary Educators’ committees, and of course, your Union Executive.

Some highlights from this year include:

• KFA Members turned out in higher numbers than ever for our online general meetings as well as our first-ever online election forum.
• The KFA membership ratified the new 2019-2022 KPU-KFA Collective Agreement on July 21, 2020.
• The Union and Employer jointly agreed to the COVID FAQs, addressing our working conditions during the pandemic.
• Seema Ahluwalia, KFA Decolonization, Reconciliation, & Indigenization Committee representative and one of our delegates to the Vancouver & District Labour Council, was elected Member-at-Large on the VDLC Executive and played a significant role in helping the VDLC establish its Anti-Racism Committee.
• Tanya Boboricken, KFA LGBTQ2S+ Committee representative, in conjunction with KDocsFF Outreach, student R from the KSA, and PDEC, organized a showing, keynote, and panel discussion of the award-winning, KPU alum-directed documentary, My Name Was January, in honour of the life of trans activist January Marie Lapuz.
• Kristi Dukewich, KFA Occupational Health & Safety Committee Chair, and Mark Diotte, Member-at-Large, hosted the “KFA Presents” workshop “Making Your Courses More Manageable,” with over 120 faculty members attending via Zoom.
• Balbir Gurm, KFA Labour Community Advocate, co-wrote Making Sense of a Global Pandemic: Relationship Violence & Working Towards a Violence Free Society, which can be found at https://kpu.pressbooks.pub/nevr/. This free ebook has 25 chapters and 512 pages covering relationship violence against all genders.
• Many grievances were resolved in the mediation process prior to arbitration.
• Our Administrative Assistant, Amy Nagi, welcomed baby Noor on December 3rd! (Photo below).

Your Executive Representatives have also been busy representing faculty members on a number of issues, including regularization, performance review, and understanding NR1 & NR2 work. In addition, we have just approved the KFA 2020-2021 Work Plan and the Priorities of Anti-Racism, Member-Engagement, and COVID-19 Planning.

Throughout the year, your Table Officers have continued to work on many joint Union-Employer committees and grievance resolutions, as well as advocacy and support for all of our members.

Looking ahead to 2020, Mark Diotte begins his term as Vice President, Negotiations, and we welcome Rachelle Hollaway as our appointed second Member-at-Large.

We would like to thank our support staff, Kyla Rand and Amy Nagi, for all of the hard work they do year-round to support the KFA Executive and membership. We also wish to welcome Gill Jones to the team as our interim Administrative Assistant while Amy is on leave.  

The KFA office is closed as of Friday, December 18th and will reopen on Monday, January 4th. If you require urgent assistance during this closure, please email any of the Table Officers. We will be checking email intermittently over the holidays.

Happy Holidays! Wishing you a restorative break,

Your KFA Table Officers

Gillian Dearle, Diane Walsh, Raphael Lagoutin, Mark Diotte, Romy Kozak, and Betty Cunnin

December 6th Memorial

Dear Colleagues,

I would like to draw your attention to an important memorial that the KFA holds each year at KPU on December 6, the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. On this day we give our respects to the 14 women who lost their lives in 1989 at the École Polytechnique in Montréal, and the many more who were injured and forever affected by this tragedy.

On December 6 we give special remembrance to all women who have been victims of violence in our communities. But much more than remembering this social ailment, we are called to reaffirm our commitment in standing up and speaking out against gender-based violence. During the COVID-19 pandemic, increased violence against women has been documented around the world, including in our own communities. And so, this year December 6 has added meaning, as the pandemic is working to accelerate violence against women.

A number of local groups are advocating for change in recognizing the severity of gender-based violence. NEVR—the Network to End Violence in Relationships—and other interested parties are urging the people of Canada to sign a petition for the Federal Government to develop a national prevention plan concerning relationship violence. Community organizations, like Battered Women’s Support Services and the Ending Violence Association of BC, not only provide essential front-line help to women experiencing gender-based violence but they also aim to educate the public on the state of violence against women in our communities.

On Sunday, December 6 you are encouraged to hold your own private time of contemplation and remembrance in your home, to memorialize the 14 women from the École Polytechnique in Montreal who were gunned down while furthering their education and working, and to reflect on violence against women in your own community and its tragic outcomes. In the evening, you are also invited to attend a virtual vigil hosted by the New Westminster & District Labour Council. KPU Nursing faculty member and KFA Labour Community Advocate Dr. Balbir Gurm, among other honoured guests, will raise their voices in solidarity against gendered violence in their commemoration of the Montreal Massacre. Advance registration is required for this event, but everyone is welcome.

In remembrance and with hope,

Cherylynn Bassani

Status of Women Representative, Kwantlen Faculty Association

November 4, 2020 Retro and New Collective Agreement Update

Hello KFA members,

I want to take this opportunity to provide you with the current status of the KPU-KFA April 1, 2019 – March 31, 2022 Collective Agreement.

Faculty Raises/Retroactive Payments

At our last KFA General Meeting, I updated our membership on the status of the raises and the retro payments negotiated in the last round of bargaining.

We have continued to discuss this with the Employer, and their position has shifted somewhat, but we are not satisfied with their current stance, and we are not prepared to accept it.

As of today, the Employer has:

• committed to implement our raises by the November 20, 2020 payday.
• withdrawn the earlier-communicated deadline of March 31, 2021 for the retro payments.
• committed to implement retro pay by the December 18, 2020 payday. This excludes any transactions that require manual processing, such as additional work contracts.
• committed to implement NR1 faculty retro by January 29, 2021 payday.
• committed to starting the implementation of the rest of the manually processed retro payments on February 12, 2021 up to March 31, 2021.

We have expressed to the Employer our unwillingness to accept these timelines.

Their position is not reasonable or fair. Retro payout timelines in all other locals of the Federation of Post-Secondary Educators (FPSE) have been handled as a priority. Our administration is the only one that has not made the payout of our negotiated retroactive raise payments a priority. In fact, many locals received their retro payment in July or August.

What’s next:

We have taken this issue to FPSE President, Brent Calvert, who will be meeting with the CEO of the Post-Secondary Employers’ Association today to apply pressure to our Employer through that provincial organization.

We are also currently determining the best formal process through which to address this important issue. The options include a Labour Relations Board Complaint, a grievance through our Collective Agreement, and a complaint through the Employment Standards Act.

The New Collective Agreement is Now Available!

Since my last update, the final version of the KPU-KFA 2019-2022 Collective Agreement has been signed off and is now available in its digital form on our website under “Quick Links.” Under the terms of the Collective Agreement, the Employer will be providing the KFA with 100 printed copies of the new Collective Agreement. Should you prefer a paper copy of the agreement, it will be available once it is supplied by the Employer.

Letter of Understanding #13 – Joint Committee On Class Size Past Practice

Since my last update, a number of meetings for this Joint Committees have taken place. As of today, the Employer has provided some of the information necessary to start this process. We will be reaching out to the areas with the list of classes under discussion at this Joint Committee. A separate communication will be coming shortly with the next steps.

Raphael Lagoutin                                             

KFA Vice-President Negotiations

KFA October 21 General Meeting Update

Dear Faculty,

Thank you for another wonderful turnout at our October 21, 2020 KFA General Meeting. For those who were unable to attend, we would like to provide the following update.

Introductions and Recognitions

The KFA introduced Brent Calvert, President of the Federation of Post-Secondary Educators and welcomed Lucia Salazar who continues to serve as the FPSE Staff Representative for the KFA. Brent’s presentation about Fair Employment Week can be found here.

The KFA recognized the outstanding contributions and service of Bob Davis, past President of the KFA, and Lesley Burke O’Flynn, previous FPSE Staff Rep and Chief Negotiator for the KFA.

Elections and Open Positions

Please contact us if you are interested in the following open positions with the KFA:

• Professional & Scholarly Development Committee Representative
• Labour Community Advocate
• LMRC Representative for Civic Plaza—please contact us if you have taught and are planning to teach at Civic Plaza

The following positions were acclaimed at the meeting. We thank you for stepping forward to serve our membership. A full list of your KFA representatives can be found here.

Bargaining & LOU #13

Bargaining: VP Negotiations, Raphael Lagoutin updated the membership on the status of salary increases and retroactive pay. Since the General Meeting, the Employer has stated that both salary increases and retro pay for most faculty members will be implemented before Christmas. The KFA continues to engage the Employer on making the retro payments earlier than this projected timeline. We are currently in talks with HR and FPSE on this important issue.

LOU #13: The KFA will be reaching out directly to areas where the Employer is seeking a class size increase as part of LOU #13 discussions. At this point, discussions are still preliminary in nature as we await a complete list of exactly which classes the Employer wishes to discuss. Please see the General Meeting Agenda attached to the October 21 meeting invitation or log on to the yourkfa.ca Members Area for the full VP Negotiations report on bargaining and LOU #13.

Faculty Performance Review Committee

The challenges of Faculty Performance Review in an online teaching and learning environment have been recognized by both the KFA and KPU. Together, the Parties have negotiated a memorandum with guidelines for how Probationary Faculty Performance Reviews will take place in this environment. Please see the General Meeting Agenda attached to the October 21 meeting invitation or log on to the yourkfa.ca Members Area for the full memorandum on Probationary Faculty Performance Review for Fall 2020.

Covid-19 Working Conditions

• Worksafe BC regulations and Remote Work checklists, & Working from Home checklists: At this time, we advise faculty not to sign these documents. The KFA is currently working with KPU to ensure that faculty interests are protected. While the Employer is responsible for ensuring a safe work environment, there needs to be a less invasive way of doing so as well as a sunset clause. Further, the inclusion of these documents in personnel files is problematic as is the requirement to have cameras on during meetings. Please look for a KFA-KPU agreed-upon version of these documents to go out to members. Until such time, we advise against signing them.
• Business Expense Policy: While items such as monitors and chairs can be requested through your Dean’s Office and borrowed until the end of the pandemic, the Employer has made it clear that they are not interested in building home offices for faculty. Items such as lamps and desks will not be covered other than through accommodation processes. The KFA is continuing to advocate for the ability to expense printer ink, but the Employer is insistent that all printing can continue to be done on campus, and that marking can be done digitally.
• Student Accommodations: It has been brought to our attention that members have been asked to invigilate exams for students with extra exam time accommodations. In the past, Assessment and Testing Services has arranged invigilation for these exams. The KFA is discussing this change of practice with the Employer. If you find yourself in this situation, please contact the KFA.
• COVID-19 Reporting: It has been brought to our attention that some members have been asked to report COVID-19 cases to the Employer. FPSE has advised us that it is not appropriate for members to disclose a third-party’s medical condition, and that it is optional for a member to self-disclose. Reporting of COVID-19 should be occurring through the Health Authorities and the contact-tracing process. If you have been asked to report COVID-19 cases to the Employer, please contact the KFA.
• Variance to the recall period: The KFA is negotiating with the Employer for an extended recall period beyond the two year period in Article 7.11. This would affect those members laid off within two years prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Employer seems to agree with this idea in principle, and negotiations are continuing.

KFA Table Officer reports, the full agenda from the General Meeting, and other resources can be found on the KFA website.

In Solidarity,

Your Kwantlen Faculty Association

KFA Annual General Meeting Agenda and Reports

Please find the attached KFA General Meeting Agenda & Reports:

October 21, 2020 General Meeting Agenda & Reports

FPSE Fair Employment Week Presentation to the KFA

FPSE President Brent Calvert made the following presentation at the October 21 KFA General Meeting:

FPSE Presentation to KFA October 2020  

The new 2019-2022 KPU-KFA Collective Agreement is here!

The new 2019-2022 KPU-KFA Collective Agreement is here!

KPU-KFA 2019-2022 Collective Agreement

The Employer will also be providing 100 physical copies of the new Collective Agreement shortly. If you would like to request a physical copy, please reach out to us.

In solidarity, 

Your KFA

Educational Leave Application Deadline Reminder

To all Faculty Members,

The KFA Table Officers would like to advise you to please take note of the revised dates and deadlines for Educational Leave applications. 

The deadline for applications this fall is October 31, 2020, earlier than the previous fall deadline. 

If you’re thinking about making an application, please take a look at the details about what Educational Leave is about under Collective Agreement, Article 14. 

https://yourkfa.ca/assets/media/KPU-KFA-2014-19-Collective-Agreement.pdf

Also, please look at the current documents and application guidelines on SharePoint:

https://our.kpu.ca/sites/hr/training/FacultyEdLeave/SitePages/Home.aspx

Your KFA Table Officers

Fair Employment Week and the BC Election

Dear Kwantlen Faculty Association Members,

The following is a message from the President of the Federation of Post-Secondary Educators (FPSE), Brent Calvert, regarding Fair Employment Week and the BC Election. Brent will join us at the GM tomorrow to bring greetings from FPSE.

This month, there are two important opportunities to shape the future of our province for our colleagues and ourselves. The impacts of COVID-19 on post-secondary institutions are still reverberating through the system. Just as with every other sector, the pandemic has exacerbated inequalities that already existed in our society and workplaces. That’s why it’s so important that we talk about the hardships being experienced by those with the lowest pay and no job security. It’s also why we need to take part in the BC election.

Here’s how you can take part in building a better future for all of us:

Fair Employment Week | FPSE has a long and proud tradition of strong activism on behalf of all our contract faculty members. Because of the commitment, focus, and perseverance of all our members we have been able to make gains on job security and pay for our contract faculty members. Our struggle continues but this week we take time to come together, recognise our successes and plan for our next steps. Here’s our full agenda for Fair Employment Week and here’s two specific events that we’re asking you to participate in:

• Tuesday October 20 | 7pm-9pm | Join FPSE leaders and members in an informal get together.  We will all share thoughts and our experiences about the challenges facing non-regular faculty this year, how we can work together and with new allies to bring about real fairness for non-regular faculty and what you need FPSE and locals to do moving forward.   It will be an exciting evening! https://fpse.ca/news/meetings-events/fair-employment-week-oct-19-23-2020
• Thursday October 22 | All day | Take part in the Fair Employment Week Social Media Day of Action using the hashtags #MakeItFair, #MakeitFair4CAS and tag us @FPSE. Attached is a digital toolkit to help you with pre-drafted content.
  • Contract faculty – please show and share your working conditions;
  • Regular faculty  – please share your support of your contract faculty colleagues; and
  • Students and post-secondary supporters –  please like and share #MakeItFair content throughout the day.
• If you’re not on social media, contact your FPSE Local to find out how else you can help. https://fpse.ca/about/member-locals
   

Vote in the BC Election | Every election is an important opportunity for educators to take part in our democracy. When you vote, you have your say in who the government will be for the next four years. Here’s our top 5 list of questions to ask and things to know to help you take part in the election. https://fpse.ca/news/fpse-news/educators-vote-five-things-know-and-do-bc-election

1. Are you eligible to vote?
2. Make a plan to vote!
3. Decide who to vote for.
4. Ask questions of candidates and parties.
5. Remind your friends and family to vote!
    

Thanks for everything you do to support a fair post-secondary system!

In solidarity,

Brent Calvert

FPSE President

Fair Employment Week and Election Resources

Last Call for Nominations for 2020 KFA Elections

Dear Kwantlen Faculty Association Members,

In accordance with Article 7 of our Constitution and By-Laws, this is the last call for nominations for the following positions on the KFA Executive Committee:

• Vice-President, Negotiations (for balance of term: current term ends on Aug. 31, 2022)
• Professional & Scholarly Development Committee Representative (for balance of term: current term ends on May 31, 2022)
• Labour Community Advocate (for balance of term: current term ends on May 31, 2021)

This is the last call for nominations for the following positions on the KFA Labour Management Relations Committee (LMRC):

• Surrey Campus LMRC Representative
• Richmond Campus LMRC Representative
• Cloverdale Campus LMRC Representative
• Langley Campus LMRC Representative
• Civic Plaza Campus LMRC Representative 

Nomination Period – September 30  to October 20, 2020.
The nomination period runs from September 30 to October 20, 2020. Nomination forms are to be sent to the Chief Returning Officer (C.R.O.), Diane Walsh. Three calls for nominations will be made during this time period. In the event that the call for nominations results in only one nomination being received by the close of the nomination period, the nominee shall be acclaimed at the General Meeting on October 21, 2020.

The nominations received to date are as follows:

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me. You can find more information about the election process on our website.

Diane Walsh, Vice-President, Grievances

Officer Responsible for the Election